Human Services Faculty

Melinda HeinzPh.D., Iowa State University – Human Development and Family Studies with a Gerontology
minor

Melinda primarily teaches courses related to developmental psychology and gerontology.
Melinda is passionate about gerontology and wants to create more positive views surrounding
older adulthood and aging. Some of her favorite course requirements include service
learning activities at Maple Crest Manor and Assisted Living in Fayette. In addition,
she also enjoys the creativity she has seen when students work on a “Designing a Toy”
project in Developmental Psychology: Birth to Adolescence where they design and discuss
a new developmentally appropriate toy for a child.

Her research interests include older adult technology use, caregiving, centenarians
and longevity, gerontology education, and death and dying. Most recently, Melinda
worked with a Sandra Meder (2015 alumnus) on a research grant project titled “Caregiving
in the 21st century: Exploring dementia caregiver’s technology use.” The grant was
funded from the R.J. McElroy Student/Faculty Research Program Fund. Interviews with
caregivers caring for a loved one with dementia were conducted throughout the state
of Iowa in order to find out more about how technology may aid in the caregiving experience.
Findings from the study were presented at the Gerontological Society of America.

Shelby KauraPh.D., Iowa State University – Human Development and Family Studies

Dr. Shelby A. Kaura has a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies; M.S. in Human
Development and Family Studies with an emphasis on Marriage and Family Therapy; and
B.S. in Psychology, all from Iowa State University. Prior to UIU, she completed a
three-year Postdoctoral Fellowship at Iowa State where she was an Adjunct Faculty
member teaching undergraduate courses in HDFS and a Research Scientist at the Institute
for Social and Behavioral Research. She was Project Manager for Welfare, Children,
and Families: A Three-City Study, a federally funded multimillion dollar longitudinal
study of the impact of welfare reform on children and families. She was also Principle
Investigator of a study on violence and abuse among college dating couples.

Currently she is an Associate Professor of Human Services and the Chair of the Human
Services Program. She has been with Upper Iowa University since November of 2007 and
her office is located at the Des Moines Center. She advises both human services and
psychology students and teaches courses in support of both majors, in addition to
a few courses in sociology and criminal justice. In particular, she teaches the following
courses:

Social Welfare Policies and Programs

Marriage and the Family

Skills and Strategies in the Helping Profession

Issues and Ethics in the Helping Profession

General and Abnormal Psychology

Social Gerontology

Methods in Human Services I

Motivation

Victimology

Senior Project (required for center and online students)

Internship and Special Project Supervisor for psychology and criminal justice

She also teaches two online graduate courses in support of the M.Ed. Higher Education
Administration Emphasis.